Ex minus Why equals You
by theforesttree
Summary: It started with her falling off a stage onto him. It ended with breakup. It restarted with one girl, one mansion, four other hot guys and one ex-boyfriend.
1. Entering

**Implied a lot introduction. Please read carefully and review.**

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_**Ex minus Why equals You**_

_by: littlefreakshow_

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Chapter 1: Ex-heart

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Sakura woke up pleasantly happy.

Very unlike the usual her, the second her pink alarm clock rang, she sprang out of bed, throwing her thin covers everywhere. She had a smile plastered on her delicate features as she rushed to get ready. She spent five minutes showering – this time not wishing for hot water – and after, one-handed brushed her pink locks as her right hand squished her tolietries bag into her small hand-luggage.

Sakura laughed triumphly when she heard the distinct zipping of her luggage. She picked up the bag, stuffed her simple black cellphone and polka-dotted wallet into the pocket of her old jeans and practically flew out the door.

Sakura dropped her bag at the end of the short hall and whirled her head around wildly like a child, searching. Her smile faltered a little when she found herself alone in the small house that she called a home.

She bit her lip as she walked with less enthusiastism towards the kitchen. She shivered slightly from the coldness of the tile floor that emitted to the bare soles of her feet but she continued to walk towards the kitchen counter.

Standing on her tippy-toes, she pulled the cabinet door open, careful not to damage the hinges further, she had set to work on the sandwiches that she was determined to make.

After tactfully slicing the tomatoes and placing all the ingredients in between pieces of bread, she used plastic-wrap to cover them and hold them together before sticking it into the refrigerator.

Sakura, then took the notepad that was residing beside the house phone and she wrote down her goodbye, the gocery list and made a note about the sandwich meal in the refrigerator.

Sighing, she pushed herself off the counter and walked back out to the hall. She picked up her heavy luggage and took a look around the house once more before patting her pockets for her small but necessary items. She walked up the the front door and swung it open.

She took a step out, headed for the nearby bus-stop and wished that her father was there to say goodbye to his 'little girl'.

* * *

"Ah, Haruno-san. We were expecting you...yesterday."

I smiled apologetically. Oh, how I knew that they were gonna ask that.

"I'm sorry, er..." I took a peek at the name on her professional desk, "...Shizune-sensei. My plane flight got delayed." Which was the _truth_. My plane flight back from Germany was really delayed back by one day. I just arrived back here yesterday.

"Oh. No worries, Haruno Sakura-san. Let me just find you a dorm." The lady in front of me said kindly. I flashed a smile at her before turning my head to look around at the office. Plain but simple. But of course, the leather couch beside the entrance caught my eye. _God, it looks more worthy than my bed. _It's funny really. Cause I would really like it better to sleep on that couch.

A light coughing interrupted my wishful thinking. "Haruno-san? I am very sorry to tell you that due to your late-coming, there are no more normal dorms available." She paused to let me digest this. _Which is kind of insulting, because my brain processing speed is well above superior, thankyouverymuch. _"But of course, we can get you a place to stay!" She quickly added. I frowned. I could sense something bad coming. I stared at her, and wondered about that thing that was resting in her lap. _Is that a pig?_

"I've made arrangements for you..." She paused again. _I was getting annoyed,_ "Go on."

"You would be staying in a special dorm. It is the furtherest dorm from campus, but definitely the most comfortable." My eyebrows rose at this. _Furtherest, bad. Comfortable, good._

"And...?" I sensed a catch... "Well, you would be rooming with five other gentlemen." ...just about **there**.

I surprised myself at how calm I sounded. "Excuse me...what."

"That dorm is definitely the biggest and most luxuriest. You would even get a room to yourself! I assure you that all these gentlemen are...well, gentlemen-ly. And the dorm is new." She said quickly. She probably caught the frown on my face.

"They get the newest and biggest and more luxturiest dorm to themselves?"

_I swear, sometimes I ask the weirdest questions._

"...Well, they personally requested it and they were a big help with building the newer facilitises in the school..." I sensed _rich-assed-jerks _written all over this.

"Sakura-san! I assure you that this is the best arrangment that we could get you."

I sighed at the pleading voice. _I shouldn't take this out on her. It's 'my' fault that I am late._

"It's okay...where is the dorm?"

* * *

So, as I was walking very innocently to the damn freaking far part of the campus -..._oh my god its a train stop away!- _all I heard was muttering about "loser", "freak" and "commoner".

Which would have pissed me off.

Seriously, is having pink-hair and green eyes so freaking weird?

_Yes...yes it is..._

The word 'commoner' was the worse. Its true that my father and I aren't exactly rich. Far from that actually. I live in a two-room flat since I was fifteen. My father and I moved there after...well... since my 'mother' walked out.

Anyways, I guess going through the campus of the rich -where people were EVERYWHERE- with only a small boring black hand-luggage is pretty pathetic.

But so what. I pwn all these people (losers). Yeah...I would. YEAH BELIEVE IT!

I got here by working -every since day at a local cafe- my ass off. Dad helped too. But like whoa the school fees here are **holyfreakingshit** worthy. But, it is one of the top schools in the world, and I want to be a doctor someday. So of course I had to try to get in.

Well, I DID.

But obviously, I am not gonna fit in here. That girl that just walked past me is wearing prada from head-to-toe for pete's sake.

For the sake of my future though, I am going through this.

**OH MY GOD.**

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IS THAT A MANSION?!

In a college?

As a DORM?!

**Oh my freaking god.**

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So yeah, after having stared at the pretty building (I refuse to call it a dorm, not to mention MY dorm) I finally had a good idea to go in.

I walked up the absolutely smooth and perfect steps (ohmygod, I am talking about STEPS here!) and drew the 'dorm' key that Shizune-sensei gave to me and slipped it into the lock of the main door (which was freaking huge), and turned.

When I heard the loud 'CLICK' my heart started beating like a mile a minute.

_Why must I get nervous now?!_

Swallowing the lump in my throat (that was suddenly _there_), I bit my lip and push the -huge- door open.

I peeked into the mansion, and the first thing I saw was a pair of eyes.

Green eyes.

With huge black circles around them. (I was instantly reminded of a panda...)

Blinking, I unconsciously pushed the door open even more.

And um, the guy kept staring at me. _Not blinking at all._

Silence...(the door didn't even make those creaking sounds that always happened in movies)

I couldn't take it anymore, "Hello...?"

Stare.

Stare...

Stare......

_Goddamnit. _

"Gaara." A voice that came from somewhere said.

The guy in front of me turned towards the said voice. I looked behind him and saw another er...is that a girl or a guy...?

Scary.

White (I am not kidding) eyes. _Those look kind of transparent...I had never seen such eyes..._

And very very girly hair. Its like long and silky... _Definitely nicer than mine._

"Shikamaru." The unnamed girl/guy said, looking towards another person at the side of the large room. Someone that I didn't notice before from my position at the (huge) mansion door.

His arms was on a table with his head resting on his crossed arms. His face was turned in my direction. _Is he sleeping?_

When he yawned, I knew I was right.

"Nughhh?" Boy, was he sleeply.

"Who is she?" The girl/guy said, sounding very much like a male but had hair that was way too girly to be a male. _Well, at least I look like a she. Unlike some people._

The sleeply dude with the pine-apple hair looked at me and said in a very slow voice, "New girl. No more dorms left." The G/G (girl/guy) nodded.

Turning towards me, he opened his mouth, about to say something before a loud sound interrupted him.

_Slurpppp._

My head turned automatically towards the sound and saw something at I really couldn't believe. Yellow and orange. Whisker marks on both cheeks. And a grin on the mouth that was eating/inhaling ramen.

Yeah...no doubt about it.

I wouldn't help myself. I screamed.

"Naruto!"

And him, in turn dropped his bowl of instant ramen, but managed to catch it before it splattered all over the nice, polished floor and he craddled it to his chest.

"Sakura-chan!"

I smiled brightly. It had been a long time since I heard that voice. And I, unbelievealbly, missed it. _The world is ending...don't bother to save me..._

He ran over to me, peering at my face. Totally invading my personal space bubble. But at that time, I didn't care...because...if Naruto was here...then...

"Sakura."

A very, very famailiar monotone voice rang through my ears. Whipping myself around, I caught sight of a very very bad sight. My mouth popped open stupidly as I stared.

Sasuke.

**........Crap.**

Uchiha Sasuke.

My ex-boyfriend.

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**....Another school fic from me...AHHH. I COULDN'T RESIST....SORRYYYYY.**

**Review please?**

**Its the eve of Chinese New Year Day One 2009. Gong Xi Fa Cai. (I can say it properly...I am chinese.) And its....12.00 pm...in my country so...I hope that this fic would be popular...**


	2. Colliding

**Thank you so much for your support! Yeah, I decided what I want to do with this fic already so cross your fingers, I want to try to get it out as good as possible.**

**Disclaimer: No. Repeat. No.**

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If life had a backspace button, I would probably abuse it.

There are lots of _whythehelldidthathappen/whythehelldidIdothat_ things in my life that I would like to change (or maybe...delete from my life) -

For example:

No. 1 – Eating that chocolate fudge with oreo sprinkles sundae, which my Dad told me not to, when I was seven.

No. 2 – Puking said chocolate fudge with oreo sprinkles sundae all over my bed.

No. 3 – Crying when my 'mother' ran away. With all the money that my family had.

No. 4 – Walking into that alley when I was fifteen.

No. 5 – Not breaking that pervert-in-the-alley's nose harder and letting Sasuke do the rest.

No. 6 – Being an utter idiot and letting Ino go to that club. Underaged.

No.7 – Banging my head against the soccer goal post accidentally in the sixth grade.

No.8– Spilling that double-black coffee on Asuma-sensei when I was running to class.

No.9 – Tripping on the wires and falling off that stage.

No.10 – Entering Tahjichiyo College.

* * *

They stared at each other.

Naruto, who was torn between being eager and yet dreading the outcome, was watching the two with such intensity with a strange look plastered on his whiskered face. His ramen left forgotten. Temporarily, of course.

Out of all the circumstances, Sakura did not expect to see Sasuke in her dorm, in college. Because, in most of the circumstances she nightmared over, there was always a way to run away -to escape.

Not here.

She couldn't leave this college. She worked so hard to get there.

Sakura clenched her fists tightly, determinedly.

Sasuke, however, had a frustrated expression marring his features.

_Probably frustrated that he didn't get rid of me six months ago when we broke up. _Sakura thought bitterly.

Bowing her head down, eyes fixed onto her plain white shoes, she slung her hand luggage over her hunched shoulder once more. She opened her mouth ever-so-slightly to mumble out the words: "Naruto. Where do I go?" in a quiet yet controlled voice. It took all of her self-restraint to stop from screaming.

The others (Pineapple head, Girl/Guy and scary dude with eyeliner) hadn't moved at all since the Uchiha's appearance. They were also looking at the pair with scruntiny; Sakura sensed their eyes boring into the back of her skull. But at that moment, she couldn't bring herself to care about what they thought about her first impression upon them.

Her shoes moving against the marble floor made loud audible sounds as she walked directly ahead, brushing past Sasuke. Her face was as hard as the marble under the soles of her shoes but inside she was practically shrieking with panic. She firmly pushed on a cool exterior.

She used her inoccupied hand -the one not holding her luggage- to grasp Naruto's left forearm while she continued striding. Sakura did not register the fact that she almost made him spill the ramen in his hands. The pink-haired girl made a move to walk on, pulling Naruto along with her-

"Sakura."

-before she was halted in her tracks, the extremely familar deep voice repeating continously in her head.

Sakura tried but was incapable of swallowing the lump in her throat so she decided against speaking. As if she could think of anything to say in her now-muddled head of hers. She tightened her grip on Naruto, letting her neck slack as it shifted upwards, making her face the ceiling at a angle. She was not looking at the high ceiling. Her eyes were shut tightly.

No one seemed to move at all for the twenty whole seconds before a muscle in Sasuke's jaw twitched as he gritted her molars harder together. Sakura breathed heavily through her nose, trying to clear her thoughts.

_Sasuke. Sasuke. Sasuke. Sasuke._

About him.

In the tiniest movement, Sasuke swifty turned and walked though the dark mahagony doors, out of the thick atmosphere of the room.

Naruto noticed with slight anxiousness that Sakura was biting her lower lip so harshly that if she kept gnawing on it, her lip would turn in a dripping, bleeding mess.

Uzumaki Naruto wasn't the ype of let his friends get hurt.

He shifted his arm in a tugging motion, making her hand that was gripping it move jerkly with it. "Come on Sakura-chan! I should tell you where your room is." It was amazing, being able to sound so carefree when in such a tense atmosphere.

The only girl in the room stared up at him with slightly wild and searching eyes.

_Searching for an escape._

She knew that Naruto was being concerned about her. Trying to coverup the uneasiness he sensed. Even if she was his best friend's ex-girlfriend, Naruto still treated her the same. Sakura willed her lips to move into a small, grimacing smile.

_...at least I tried._

It seemed good enough for Naruto because he promptly started dragging her up the long row of stairs, practically bouncing up and leaving Neji, Gaara and Shikamaru.

The journey to her new room was thankfully not that long. In about five minutes the two reached the plain white door that awaited Sakura. It was a good thing, the journey being short because Sakura felt her self-confidence and control slipping from her at an alarming rate.

Before Naruto could say another word, Sakura had swung open the door with a swish of it cutting through the tense air and dissappeared inside.

The blond stared at the door, unmoving, for a few seconds, trying to figure out what exactly had happened.

_What are you thinking about?_

He cautiously placed his left ear onto the hard wood of the door, fighting to decipher what Sakura was doing behind it. And when he heard no sound other than harsh and ragged breaths, Naruto felt useless.

Because Uzumaki Naruto wasn't the type to let his friends get hurt. But, behind that door that separates them, Sakura was hurting.

And he couldn't do anything about it.

* * *

I was furious, angry, sad, depressed, distressed, upset, confused and downright _whatthehelljusthappen-ish._

I pulled my arms around my propped up knees, trying to keep as silent as possible. _Maybe if I am quiet enough, people would forget that I am here._

I had my back to the door I just entered from, my chin on my knees, my chest to my legs. I squeezed my body as close as possible together.

...I always knew that I was **not **one of the most luckiest people on Earth that ever existed, neither was I the most unlucky. But everyone has their most unlucky days right?

Well, the moment I got out of my bed this morning, today decided to be the most unluckiest.

Sasuke? Attending the same college as I? I wasn't sure whether I could live with that. Actually, I was kind of certain that I couldn't.

The getting-over time and the break that the six months that I had spent as a _single _nineteen year old gave me was going wasted and down the open facuet. I left the country to travel around the world as one of the students to the Around the World programme. That six months I used my time to get Uchiha Sasuke erased from my memory.

I didnt't want to remember him. I didn't want to see him. I didn't want to cry over him.

Because it was his fault.

_Get a grip Sakura!_

_I would, would get up and face the world like a strong girl that I want to be. No one would stop me from graduating from this school. No one, definitely not Sasuke, the bastard that broke my heart._

I was determined to shove my door open and stride out of this dorm -mansion- and go explore the campus I was new to.

Of course I would do that, just that.

_I am Haruno Sakura damnit! Not some weak little pathetic girl anymore!_

I tightened my arms around my legs and burrowed my face deeper into the gap of my side-by-side kneecaps.

Because, just five minutes of sadness wouldn't make a difference would it?

* * *

Even the awesome campus couldn't take my mind off a certain Uchiha.

The campus was utterly beautiful.

_Thats the fourth fountain I saw._

It was like a dreamland. My fantasy school college campus. The place I would spent at least a few years at.

I crunched up my nose a little and continued walking, pulling my well-used handphone out of my pocket.

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**To: **Ino

Meet me. I have to kill something.

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**Send message?**

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**Your message have been sent to INO.**

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I continued walking to nowhere in particular. Just exploring, nearly bumping into tons of people. Most seems to be students, although they were not in the school uniform. Since the school had given us a three day getting-used-to-the-school period, I hadn't seen a single person in the black and white uniform sporting the Tahjichiyo crest. A uniform which was tucked neatly and carefully on the top of my only luggage.

_The uniform my father had to work hard for._

I gritted my teeth and sat down at a random edge of yet another fountain.

"...pssh. How did she make it in?"

And of course, the whispers had to start.

_Brainless mindless dorks._

I tugged at the bottom of my shirt, trying my best not to scream insults at the whispering people around me.

_Utter, utter brainless mindless dorks._

I dug the heels of my hands into the concave below my forehead, squeezing my eyes shut.

* * *

"YOU COULD HAVE AT LEAST WARNED ME! FOR SIX BLOODY MONTHS I WASN'T HERE AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME ANYTHING ABOUT UCHIHA SASUKE GOING TO TAHJICHIYO?-"

_Okay...I am upset._

"WHAT KIND OF FRIEND ARE YOU?!"

_...OKAY, a lot upset._

It is wrong to be shouting in the middle of a cafe in a college campus huh – judging by the way these people are staring at Ino and I.

"A VERY GOOD ONE, THANKYOUVERYMUCH!" Ino, my blond-pig-headed friend screamed back at me, totally winning me in the loudness level. She _is _Yamanaka Ino after all.

**Calm down Sakura. Breathe in, breathe out. Its not nice to shout at your best friend at the highest possible volume in front of your new peers.**

_I don't freaking give a damn._

But I still made a effort to lower my voice. "A good friend? A _good _friend? Ino, I almost freaking broke down there!" Although I didn't succeed in lowering in the end.

"Sakura. _Get over it. _Its been six months. And you have been in fourteen different countries slash states, I think you had enough time." Ino leaned back into her chair at the small round table the two of us were seated at and threw a flirtatious wink at a boy our age over my shoulder.

I rolled my eyes for the poor boy's benefit. Ino was forever Ino, flirting with different boys even when she is completely in love with someone else.

Somethings never change.

_Others on the other hand..._

Ino's eyes glinted as she swung her head back to stare at my face.

"Haruno Sakura, are you going to let Uchiha Sasuke trample all over you forever?"

I spurted. Literally. My whole can of soda I was drinking flooded the table top when my hands slid off the table in shock – at her _bluntness_.

"H-how...how can you – you say that?" I winced at my own tone. It was absolutely powerless.

"I can and I did. You and him are over. OVER. So what if you have you see him everyday? Just do whatever you need to do and stop looking at his idiotic face." Ino leaned back in her chair, carefull not to disturb the tabletop.

I continued to stare at her, speechless.

My head shifted inwardly, causing my bangs to slip over my eyes, shielding them from Ino's piercing blue ones.

_She was right._

"...how could I be so stupid to fall for a jerk like him?" I mumbled to myself.

_Idiotic asshole jerk.I fell for that stupid idiotic asshole jerk. I fell for his charms, his looks, his personality, everything. I feel so **stupid. **I actually let him trample all over me. Me, Haruno SAKURA. God. He freaking broke my heart into a freaking million pieces._

**Well not anymore.**

Swallowing, I raised my head and offered a small smile to Ino.

Hers was dazzling in return.

"Now that you are smiling...I got something you might be interested in..." She smiled coyly, when she was everything but.

I raised my eyebrows questionably.

Her smile shifted to a smirk in one second flat. She pulled something yellow with dark red words over it from her purse on her lap, holding it high, at eye level.

In the dark red words (in at _least _font size 18) were the words : LOOKING FOR LEAD SINGER IN BAND

I blinked. A few times.

_Lead singer? In a BAND? What the heck is Ino getting at?_

My ridiculously blinking eyes turned wide as comprehension drew in.

_Oh, hell no._

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**It should be a little screw-y cause my beta didn't beta this. And I was sort of lacking in inspiration.**

**REVIEW PLEASE! (I swear I would update faster)**

**-littlefreakshow**


	3. Listening

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**I'M BACK. A million times sorry. **

**(Do I seem depressed to you?)

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Ex minus Why equals You

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Chapter 3

Listening

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"No I will not, would not, never not, ever."

I stared at Yamanka Ino like she was insane. _Which she probably was. _And I was determined to tell her just that.

"Are you freaking insane? You know how I am. Stage fright, _remember_?" I continued my effort on trying to soften my voice. _But it's not working very well. People are staring at me as if __**I'm **__insane. Except for that guy who Ino flirted with earlier, he is staring at her legs._

"Duh. Of course I remember! It was the _fiiiiiine _day when you _oh-so-gracefully _fell of the stage right into his-" She stared dreamily and I just had to stop her. "_Don't even go there."_

I didn't mean my voice to get so menacing, but it totally was.

Ino, being who she was just brushed it off and hid the shock. "Listen," she focused her electrifying baby blue eyes at me. "You have to get over this whole Sasuke Deal." _What a nice way to put it: 'Sasuke Deal'. I can hear the capitalisation._

Before I could stop myself, I bit out angrily. "I am over it!"

"Oh _please_, youare NOT."

Surprising myself, I managed to keep calm. _What the hell Ino?! _"You're de-lu-sion-al." I stretched the word, making sure she can comprehend it.

"And you are in denial, Sakura. I know you used to _really really _like him-"

_Shut up. Shut up. Shut up._

"Can we please get off this subject." _It's not a question pig. _My eyes were looking right at hers and I knew she could sense the emotional wreck I was in behind. She closed her mouth and brought a piece of the low-fat chocolate cake to her perfect lips. _Isn't low-fat chocolate cake kind of oxymoronic? _"Okay, back on subject. You, Haruno Sakura, are going to join that band."

I rolled my (pretty, emerald) eyes and went sarcastic. "But what should I be? Costume designer or lighting guy? I think I would seriously screw up both jobs." I tapped my pointer finger on my chin, posing a fake deep-thought-thinking position.

"_Noooo. _I am taking about being the lead singer! You could totally do it. And if you join, you could totally do spring dance and prom and all cool stuff. Then you won't have to worry about not having a date!"

_Oh, she did NOT go there._

I (angrily) pushed back my chair and stood up. _I so do not need such crap after crap. _And just leaving my drink on the table, I started to walk off.

With my hand on the door, I realised that I needed to ask Ino something. "There is a café just down the road from the school boundaries right…?"

Ino stared at me, obviously surprised at my moods swings. _My mood has been swinging uncontrollably for a while already._

She nodded, her blond hair sliding over her shoulders. "Yeah, '_Simply Delicious'_." _She's talking about the café's name. The coffee there from what I heard, anything but delicious._

I fully turned to face her and smiled. _I hoped it seemed believable. I am going to be doing that for quite some time…_

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_This…seems promising…_

I stood outside the little café: _Simply Delicious_. It was not very big and there were not much people around. _At least none of my supposedly new schoolmates._

It was prohibited to go out of school grounds without permission from either the teachers or the principal. _Or so I read from the school handbook that I found on the coffee table._

_Why do they have a proper coffee table anyway? It's a DORM._

It was prohibited, and I would probably be killed for this. First of all, sneaking off the school grounds. _It was not easy, but there was a short gate at the back of the (my) dorm/mansion. _But **honestly**, I had no choice.

I stared at the sign hanging onto the glass wall.

**HELP WANTED**

I swallowed the lump in my throat and pushed open the wooden door (_awaiting my destiny). _The nice smell greeted me first. It was light and coffee like. However, I did not pause long enough to look like a total retard. So my eyes quickly roamed around the area. It was small place filled with soft cushion chairs and coffee tables, at one end of the square area there stood a longish table covered in cups and coffee makers and straws.

Slowly, I walked towards that table.

The reason of why I was doing this now, when I could have been decorating my new room? I just couldn't think of Sasuke anymore.

"Um, excuse me?" I hated how my voice sounded, all croaky and tired.

The person that tended to the cashier looked up at me from the many cups he was piling onto a tray. He seemed to stare for a moment before replying, "yes?"

_No backing out now… _"I would like to apply for a job here?"

He didn't reply, instead he walked up from behind the table and came to stand directly in front of me. _Uhhh, hello? Personal space needed?_

He was about half a head taller than me and when he stood there in front of me, I actually bothered to look at him properly.

He looks sort of like Sasuke.

I felt panic going through me immediately and my mouth automatically opened. "You know what? Nevermind about the job. I am just going to go-!"

"You're hired."

…what?

"Come to work starting Monday at…I assume you are in school? …At four till half past six. Five times a week."

I am speechless.

I quickly threw a thankful glance at him and hurried off.

But I was a little happier than I was before.

* * *

Ok, since I settled my job, now it's the ultimate challenge.

Getting on good terms with the roommates.

Or in my case, mansion-mates.

Yeah, life's all good.

**NOT.**

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I wasn't chickening out. I swear, I was just taking a…breather…out on the steps.

Breather. Steps. Yes. Not chickening out.

God, who the hell was I fooling? (I was actually only making a fool out of myself while I sat on these steps and let people who walk by (or by those really expensive 'scooters'. They didn't even need to worry about hitting anything. The walkways on this campus is practically two-bus-lanes.) stare and laugh at me.)

I admit, I was…scared. Sasuke already broke my heart once; I don't intend to let myself go through that again. I was so determined to never ever talk to or see him ever again and he appears in my life once again, unannounced and uninvited, totally disrupting my carefully planned future.

**UGH.**

I was just trying to sort things out and make them right-

Sakura, come on. You can do this.

-when the front door opened-

Which scared the heck out of me.

-and out came Naruto.

Thank god it wasn't Sasuke.

"Sakura-chan? What are you doing out here?" I softly smiled at him, fully knowing that he was doing it purely out of concern and he was nothing like the other stuck-up snobs around. Even though he is probably richer than most of the students that come here. I mean, the only person I know who is richer than this kind-hearted-blond-whiskered-Naruto was only Sasuke.

But they both come pretty close. I think.

"Oh, I am just…enjoying the sunset." I completely lied.

Naruto unfortunately caught me. It was either he got smarter, or I am really no good in pretending. He stared at me for a couple of seconds before sighing and sitting onto the step beside me. "Ne, Sakura-chan, you don't have to lie to me." I didn't answer, just laid my head onto his shoulder lightly, and suddenly very tired.

Naruto…is like my brother. A brother I never had. We two were really close ever since I came across him when he and Sasuke were having one of their stupid little girly arguments (they call them 'manly fights'). We clicked on great, like we known each other forever. That's something I don't regret – most of the time…

"You want to go back inside? You need to unpack and everything." He asked but making no move to remove my head from its comfortable position. I shook my head (as much as I could anyway).

A few seconds later, he spoke again.

"I'll prepare you some ramen!" I laughed inwardly – he was still trying to get me inside.

I smiled softly but I didn't exactly want the ramen, but I was thankful that he was still the same Uzumaki Naruto she knew six months ago.

"Are you sure I won't die of your cooking?" I teased lifting my head of his broad shoulder. Thank you for being here.

"Are you mocking my awesome-and-wonderful cooking ramen skills?" Naruto pouted while standing up.

He extended a hand for me to take. "Oh course I am, I don't want to die early, no matter how miserable my life is."

He was like my very own unbiological brother.

* * *

I studied the room, my new room closely. It was big, at least three or four times bigger than my room back at home.

A bed, a desk table and a simple but nicely decorated closet stood in the room. The walls were cream coloured, simple and soothing.

It had a lot of extra space, space which was unneeded. I don't have that much stuff to fill it in. But I somehow knew I would be **physically **comfortable in this room.

I left Naruto outside the door, saying that I had to get comfortable and was tired. He voiced his concerns but left me alone.

My one and only bag was placed onto the bed, awaiting my sorting out. I took out clothes and closely stacked them into the closet. I hanged my new school uniform on the clothes rack. I stared at it.

No backing out now.

I pulled out the well-used but treasured laptop onto the desk. Before you get any ideas, I didn't buy it myself. It was a gift from Sasuke when he got pissed when I kept spending time in school and the library trying to get all my reports done.

My hand slid over the surface of the top sweeping off the imaginary dust. He said it was no big deal, but I always thought to pay him back for it. And now, I think I should even more.

Naruto said I should decorate my room a little, to 'make it look pretty! Like Sakura-chan'. But for now, till I made sure I really couldn't switch dorms, I think I would just leave it.

"Pick me up! Pick me up!" My cell phone rang from where it sat on the edge of the bed. I flicked it open and then read the message.

**To:** Sakura

**From:** Ino

REMEMBER. THE AUDTIONS ARE IN THE AUDITORIUM AT 5.30!

BE THERE.

Ah, Ino was never the one to give up.

I clicked the back button on my phone and waited patiently for the time screen to appear. **5.15.**

…I guess a little peek in won't hurt.

But first…

* * *

"Sakura-chan? How are you? Did you settle into your dorm good?" I blinked. She started talking like a windmill the moment I stepped into the office. I quickly plastered on a smile, fake, and faced Shizune-san to reply her.

"Well, its great and all…amazing huge but I have a teensy weensy problem."

I watched slightly amused at Shizune-san as her facial expression changed to welcoming and happy to confused.

What? Is she surprised that I have a problem sharing a dorm with only males?

Instantly, after I thought that, Shizune-san turned into business mode. "And what might that problem be?" She said with raised eyebrows.

I leaned back a little and looked her straight into her eyes. "I think that sharing dorm as an only girl in an all-boys dorm is not exactly my forte. I was hoping you could switch dorms for me…? Maybe one came up during the hours of this time and our previous meeting?" I asked hopefully. Really hopefully.

Shizune-san looked at me sympathetically. "I'm really sorry Sakura-chan but we are really out of dorms."

I won't lose hope yet. "Well, can I switch with someone?"

Sighing, Shizune-san placed her hands onto the desk in front of her, but made no move to rustle the papers and look for someone to switch dorms with me.

"Sakura-chan. Those kind dorm mates of yours were so kind to take you in when we ran out of dorms. We had to personally request that you could stay with them. They own that dorm, they got it with their own money and they donated a lot to the school we are really in no position to be in-charge of who we put in the North Dorm." While she explained I felt my stomach drop lower and lower.

DAMNIT.

"Er, thank you for your help then." I smiled, waved and left the office.

* * *

I followed the small mass of a crowd into the seemingly average sized school auditorium. Less than half of the seats were taking up, but I still felt a little sick.

Like to vomit out the little ramen that Naruto insisted I would enjoy.

I sat down nearing the back even though there were plenty of available seats up front. The auditorium wasn't dimmed but there were spotlights shinning brightly on the middle of the stage.

The auditions had already begun and there was currently some male with…well, really bushy eyebrows singing along to the lyrics of upbeat outdated song wearing a green spandex suit.

Well, I can't say much about my new schoolmates.

Shikamaru (sleepy pine-apple dude) raised his arm (lazily) and stopped him from singing (thankfully).

"Thank you very much for auditioning Lee." How can someone yawn so many times in a sentence?

Lee, the male with the eyebrows, saluted and "Yosh!"ed before walking off stage and sitting in the second row.

"Next." The boy beside Shikamaru, who were sitting in the front row, spoke. His hood falling off his head as he raised himself up into a more comfortable position in the soft auditorium seat.

_Cleck, cleck._

I heard her high-heels clicking against the wooden floor before I saw her.

And there she was, standing in the middle of the stage, her flaming hair shining brightly against the harsh spotlights.

_Karin._

She stood tall and proud, like I remembered her. _Just like I remembered her._

She smiled haughtily and winked at some people in the crowd. As her red eyes swept over my row, I ducked, trying hard not to be noticed.

Then, she started singing.

I sighed softly, berating myself for not seeing this situation earlier. Of course Karin would come to this college. It was easily the most private and prestigious college around. And Karin definitely had the money to pay for the fees.

I listened to her voice, still not looking directly at her. _My hair is too obvious._

Her voice was sharp and loud, she didn't need a microphone. But still, it was good. Her voice could carry the tune and she captured the attention of everyone in the auditorium. _She was here to audition for the band._

_It was a mistake to come._

Suddenly, loud claps sounded, stopping Karin in mid-sing.

I peeked up from the red cushioned seat in front of me, looking at the source of the noise.

It was Shikamaru. _He still didn't look awake. _He was clapping lazily, bring his hands together. "That's enough Karin."

My eyes automatically focused on the tightly-clad girl (woman) on stage. Her lips in a grim line, she slowly strutted off stage.

Shikamaru's back was to me, I couldn't read his face.

Karin seated herself in the front row and leaned on the shoulder of the person beside her, from the distance, I could see her wrap her arms around his bicep.

_No..._

My eyes widened and my throat felt constricted.

_Chicken-styled hair._

I swiftly abandoned my seat and turned to the double doors of the exit.

_Sasuke._

_

* * *

_

**I suppose you guys hate me now. I AM SO SORRY. I couldn't get the last part out right. Its still not right.**

**Its very not right.**

**Don't you want to murder Sasuke now?**

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**I NEED IDEAS FOR THIS FIC.**

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**DESPERATELY.**

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**THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT.**

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**REVIEW PLEASE.  
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